Curtain for the Door of the Main Minaret at the Prophet’s Mosque

TXT 256

probably Istanbul


period of Mahmud II, 1808–1839


black silk, with coloured silk appliqués, embroidered in silver and silver-gilt wire over cotton thread padding

250 x 155cm

The curtain, or sitarah, is identified within the wreath at the top as being for bab al-manarah al-ra’isiyyah, that is the door to the main minaret at the Prophet’s mosque. Below this is the signature cartouche of Sultan Mahmud II, ‘written by the Warrior for the Faith (al-Ghazi) Mahmud ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid Khan’. This signature cartouche appears often on sitarahs presented by him to the Prophet’s mosque.